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Jaen, Andalucia, Spain
Number of guests
Sleeps up to 16 (+ 2 extra children if required)
Property description
The visitors book at Cortijo de Rio Madera is full of glowing testimonials. “A long and winding road took us to this mountain paradise,” reads one, “where, with entertaining and lively fellow guests, life beyond the gate seemed a million miles away…!”
The road to restoring this 100 year old farmhouse, Cortijo de Rio Madera, in the heart of Spain’s Sierra de Segura Natural Park, has been a long, arduous but immensely satisfying one for the owners, ever since they first spotted the house and its 1600-acre estate for sale in 2004. Now that restoration is fully complete, they are ready to open the doors to groups of up to 16 guests, so that they too can enjoy this stunning house and scenery in all its glory.
The Cortijo is traditionally but beautifully and very comfortably furnished. It has eight double/twin bedrooms and six bathrooms, a fabulous big kitchen, open fires and wood burners, its own outdoor swimming pool and is set in a wide and beautiful valley within the estate.
The incredible scenery and year-round sunshine make the perfect combination for an unforgettable holiday, with on-site activities including animal observation from a tree hide, bird-watching, nature trails, and many miles of forest and mountain tracks for both walking and mountain biking.
Hunting is available during the main season from October to February. There is also a wide assortment of outdoor pursuits available within easy driving distance; from fishing and pony-trekking to more high-adrenaline activities such as rafting, kayaking, zip-lining, abseiling, paragliding, paramotoring and flying.
Altogether, this is very much a personal house, which the owners are keen for other people to share and enjoy. There are really not many places like this where you can enjoy being out and about in real wilderness and yet so comfortably accommodated.
Location
The estate is located in the heart of the Sierra de Segura, which makes up nearly a fifth of the province of Jaen in Andalucia. The three-hour car journey drive from Granada airport to the estate is an enjoyable and scenic one, which can be interrupted at one of several towns to make a longer holiday. The nearest small shop for essentials is in the hamlet of Rio Madera, next to a village restaurant. Most other things can be purchased in the wonderful mountain-top town of Segura de la Sierra (25 minute drive) which also has three good restaurants. Foodies will love the larger supermarkets and weekly markets in Orcera and Cortijos Nuevos.
Airports: Granada (3 hrs); Valencia and Alicante (3.5 hrs); Madrid, Malaga and Seville (4.5 hrs). All served by RyanAir.
Ferries: A day’s drive from the ports of Bilbao and Santander, which have year-round services from southern England.
Coaches connect Madrid to Puente de Genave and Orcera.
Accommodation
The farmhouse has been restored by local architects and artisans, whilst incorporating the latest environmentally-friendly technology. Original stone and timber features have been retained where possible, solar power and under-floor heating have been installed, and wood from the estate serves as fuel for the large open fireplace and stoves.
Accommodation is spread over two floors. The communal areas include two living rooms, a dining room, kitchen, larder and laundry room, a library, games-room, and TV room. A computer with internet facility is available in the Cortijo and mobile reception is adequate. The six twin and two double bedrooms are equipped with Hypnos beds.
The solar-power-heated pool measures 9x4 metres and has a lockable cover and a neighbouring barbecue area. The pool has large, safe steps leading down for children and elderly people. The large, pergola-shaded terrace of the house overlooks the valley and has gorgeous 360-degree views.
Although El Cortijo is available on a self-catering basis, guests receive a complimentary meal upon arrival, be it a warming fireside casserole in winter or a refreshing gazpacho and tortilla in summer. The house is kept well-stocked with basic foodstuffs and domestic supplies, and organic local produce is provided whenever possible, such as honey from hives kept on the estate, which is available during spring and summer, and the award winning, locally-produced olive oil.
The large kitchen is more than big enough for 16, with every necessary appliance, a central island, large work surfaces and two separate cookers on which substantial quantities of food can be prepared. A cook can also be hired occasionally if required. A full house can eat around a massive polished pine table in the dining room.
Guests can pre-order shopping and find it ready and waiting. The Cortijo’s wine store can also be stocked as required with a carefully chosen selection of Spanish wines, supplied with wine-tasting notes.
Facilities
Quality towels are provided for the house and pool, and a cot and similar children’s needs can easily be arranged.
Both the house and the pool are perfectly suitable for elderly visitors and younger children. Many of the walks and estate cycle rides are accessible, and there’s plenty of shady seating with views for the less energetic.
Apart from the weekly clean and change of linen, a mid-week tidy-up maid service is provided. All beds and bedrooms are kept immaculate. Should further cleaning assistance be needed, this can be arranged.
Utilities and entertainment facilities include a washing machine and tumble dryer, a dishwasher, a huge flatscreen TV with DVD player, a CD player and a Bose MP3 dock. A small library of films, CDs and books is supplied.
Area
This is one of Western Europe’s finest areas of wilderness, where high mountains and sweeping pine forests surround a spectacular valley. Jaen is the world’s leading producer of olives and olive oil, and outside the Sierras its landscape is dominated by beautiful patterns of olive trees that dot the ochre hillsides.
The local cities and towns are very pretty and utterly Spanish, offering many historically and culturally important sights – Ubeda and Baeza in particular, have been accorded World Heritage status. The capital city, Jaen, has its own graceful beauty and many historical monuments, particularly the cathedral in the old city centre and the medieval Christian castle that rests on Mount Santa Catalina overlooking the city and the surrounding landscape.
Activities on offer include:
* Trekking - the estate is ideal for trekking, mountain-biking and hill-climbing, or just long walks along miles of well marked forest tracks used for centuries by mountain folk, and many other smaller hidden trails used by shepherds, loggers and animals which can be re-discovered. Walking and climbing starts at the very door of the Cortijo.
* Guided tours by local guides (half or full day).
* The estate has two 4-wheel drive vehicles which are available for hire with drivers for an adventurous expedition into the unspoilt inner mountain ranges. Packed lunches can be arranged and the drivers know the mountains very well and are equipped with mobiles.
* A selection of mountain bikes for adults are kept at the Cortijo. Visitors will be informed of the best tracks and routes to follow. Be aware that bikes are used at your own risk.
* A tree house is available further into the estate for guests to observe animals – mainly wild boar and deer – at dawn and dusk in their natural habitat.
* The Cortijo can make arrangements for hunting parties, mainly during the winter season - October to February - with some possibilities outside these months. Game includes wild boar, red deer, fallow deer and Spanish ibex. Contact the owners for details.
* Established local companies offers fishing during season, rafting, canoeing, white-water kayaking, abseiling, zip-lining, caving and potholing, canyoning, horse-riding and trekking, archery, four-wheel drive expeditions and safaris. The local aerodrome has a flying school, and also offers paragliding, paramotoring and paratriking.
Prices
Low season: €3,500 per week for full house
High season: €5,000
Pricing is flexible dependent on number of guests/smaller groups etc.
Contact the property owners
Phone: +44 (0)20 7603 4003
Fax: +44 (0)20 7603 6679
Please note that you cannot rent this property directly from The Big Domain. If you wish to rent Cortijo de Rio Madera, or would like to enquire about availability, please click on the Contact the Property Owner button above, and use the form provided to contact the owner directly.
